Melanoma: Skin Cancer By Another Name | Skin Cancer 411

Melanoma: Skin Cancer By Another Name

Article by Owen Jones

Melanoma is the most prevalent form of skin cancer and skin cancer is the most widespread kind of cancer in the Western world. It begins in skin cells called melanocytes.

Melanocytes are found under the skin, which is made up of two strata: the epidermis on the outside and the dermis below that. To be accurate, melanocytes are situated in the lowest levels of the epidermis, but not actually in the dermis.

These cells produce melanin, which affects the epidermis? pigmentation, both natural skin colour and because of exposure to the sun as in tanning.

Sometimes, a group of near-by melanocytes combine with a little local tissue to form a mole (also known as a nevus; plural nevi). The typical individual has between ten and forty moles, which usually seem before the fortieth birthday. They frequently fade or fade away with age.

Moles are non-malignant (non-cancerous) and can be flat or raised in contour and almost any colour. Normally, they are slightly darker than one?s natural skin colour. Dark skinned individuals tend to have more moles.

Cancer starts in cells where the standard cycle of decay and replacement by regeneration has been Upset. In these conditions, cells do not always die when they should and new cells are produced unnecessarily.

This, in turn, produces a growth (also known as a tumor), which can be either benign or malignant (that is to say cancerous or non-cancerous).

Benign tumors can be surgically taken away and seldom come back. They do not spread or affect surrounding tissue.

Malignant tumors are cancerous and can affect adjacent tissue and organs. In these cases, cancerous cells can break away from the primary tumor and have an impact on other organs or enter the blood stream (lymphatic system), wherein it will spread to other regions of the body (metastasis) quite quickly. The incidence of metastasis is a deciding issue in how a physician deals with cancer.

Melanoma happens when melanocytes are malignant. It can occur at any age, but the chances rise with age. Fair-skinned people are more likely to develop it than dark-skinned individuals. In fair-skinned races, men tend to get it on the upper body and neck, whereas women get it on their calves (lower legs).

Dark-skinned people rarely get melanoma, but if they do, it is normally under the finger and toe nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. When cancerous cells from melanoma enter the lymphatic system and have an impact on other organs, it is still attributed to melanoma. For example, if the liver becomes affected by cancerous cells from melanoma, it is referred to as metastatic melanoma, not liver cancer.

Frequently, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, colour, or texture of an current mole, although it frequently first manifests itself with a new mole or moles. Self-diagnosis is not to be relied on ? always seek specialized advice if you have any problems relating to your skin. However, it is wise to bear in mind ?The ABCD of Melanoma?, which goes like this:

Asymmetry: the outline of one side of the mole is not the same as the other side.

Border: the border or edges of the mole are not clearly defined; a bit tattered or the pigmentation ?blurs into the surrounding skin.

Colouration: the mole is not uniformly of one colour, although it is not so vital what that colour is.

Diameter: there is a modification in size or a new mole grows bigger than 5mm in size.

About the Author

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is now concerned with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Source: http://skincancer411.com/melanoma-skin-cancer-by-another-name

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